The Summons War
by lyssanja
Summary: He may be the deadlast, but he's still a gentleman, and he cannot tolerate seeing her this miserable. And so he does what he does best-clown around and put his foot on his mouth and fight. It may not be enough, but it's a damn sight better than nothing.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: lyssanja's back, yeah. unofficially, i suppose. this one's a crossover with baka to test to shokanjuu, although you won't find them characters in here. i just tweaked their world a bit. i hope nobody kills me for this. i'd love to hear some feedback though._

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**Chapter 1**

**The Revolution as Started by Class 2F**

**Part I  
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The ring of the morning bell that heralded the end of the summer was the only thought in Uzumaki Naruto's mind as he sluggishly trudged up the stairs, headed for his new class.

It was the first day of another year at Konoha Academy, and the caste was sure to be strict on students like him, who belonged to the class of bottom-feeders. At least he was not late this time. Ebisu – sensei had no excuse to whack his head with his evil giant fan.

As he took one step up the grand staircase at the time, Naruto's mind whirred furiously, thinking of the time it would take to reach his classroom. And his steps slowed considerably with each second. Going up via the 'grand' (as students opt to call the marble, winding staircase that dominated the foyer of the academy building) would mean having to pass through wings A, B and E to reach his classroom at F wing.

With the rigid caste system employed at Konoha Academy, the A wing was the most opulent in each of the three floors in the high school building, consisting of huge classrooms that were interconnected by means of sliding doors, making it easier for the students to access their mini-library and kitchenette by just having to pass the audio-visual room. They even have laboratories for their enthusiastic students (and future chemists and whatevers).

Naruto fairly drooled at the thought of 'kitchenette'. He heard the school itself was responsible for stocking up; the A students just had to request whatever tickled their fancy.

Whereas the A wing was the most magnificent, B wing came a justifiable second. It boasted of classrooms just a little bit less luxurious than A wing's, and also had an audio-visual room and mini-library. C wing was the third and D wing the fourth… and so on, with F wing being the last, the wing fit for the school's bottom-feeders.

F wing was made up of a hodgepodge of secondhand from all other wings, to put it nicely. The second-floor F wing's door was the old door of Class B circa 1998, before a randy young student put his fist through it to display his zeal for life. Now the door was rightfully F's, and punctured with a fist-sized hole that served as a peeping hole to see if the teacher had already arrived.

There were no multimedia devices for each student; Class F had to make do with a multimedia projector connected to an ancient CPU that took ten years to boot. They had, however a surprisingly well – kept black board, and a bounteous supply of chalk. The students' desks were a mixture of damaged desks from all other classes. As such, no two desks were alike, and each one of those desks sported a splint or superglue of some sort.

Their air – conditioning unit was a generous donation from Class C, and interestingly made the classroom hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. There was not even a cupboard for food.

F wing was so deprived that it was ultimately placed in the farthest corner of the building, far from any apprising eyes of visitors.

When Naruto finally reached his destination, the teacher was already in front, smiling like a blind fool at the students. Naruto barged in with as much enthusiasm as a convicted prisoner to his death row prison.

"You're late," the teacher barked.

"Yes, good morning to you too, sensei," Naruto replied absently. He trudged up to sit at the back, beside Nara Shikamaru.

Nara Shikamaru was a quiet, brooding boy with long black hair tied in a low pony tail, and glittering black eyes. He was silent most of the time, and quite unattentive in class, preferring to either doze off or watch the clouds. His seat was always the last seat beside the window, next to Naruto's seat.

There were rumors that Shikamaru was a genius, his IQ going as high as 200, but since he was always second to the last in placement, Naruto didn't bother to care. Shikamaru was Shikamaru, after all.

Naruto twiddled with the buttons of his uniform as he partly listened to their teacher—who was also their homeroom adviser—prattle on. He called himself Umino Iruka, although his features did not inspire one to envision summer, and the sea, and—

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto blinked back to reality, partly irritated and partly baffled. "What now, Iruka – sensei?"

"You weren't listening at all, were you, Naruto – kun?" There was a healthy dose of disapproval in their homeroom adviser's tone that made Naruto look up. And become slack – jawed.

He was fairly sure that everyone else in the room (except Shikamaru) had their jaws hanging off their hinges as well. Because there, standing beside the teacher, looking all for the world like the goddess who lost her robe, was Haruno Sakura.

Iruka – sensei was oblivious to the general disbelief of his class, of course. He was smiling cordially at Sakura as he gestured to Naruto. "You may sit beside that loud blonde, Haruno-chan. Just ignore his idiocy." Haruno Sakura smiled gratefully and made a formal bow before walking towards her designated seat.

Naruto was too stunned to rise to the teacher's biting words. His eyes were glued to the petite doll walking regally towards him, like a pleasant dream.

Haruno Sakura was well – known among the second year students as the undergrad princess—the complement to the reigning prince Uchiha Sasuke. If Uzumaki Naruto was the perpetual deadlast, and Uchiha Sasuke was always at the top of the ranking, then Haruno Sakura never left the second place. She has been listed in the semestral top 10, assigned a post in the student government, and featured in the school and local newspapers since freshman year. And never had it crossed anybody's mind that she would fail the semestral placement examination and land in Class F.

It was surreal.

Naruto's eyes followed Haruno Sakura's every movement. He did not even blink, afraid that she would disappear if he as much as close his eyes. He watched her gingerly hang her bag on the hook, and cough lightly. She sat on her chair, a cushioned, high – backed seat that Class B bequeathed to them five years ago, and dust clouded upwards. Sakura coughed harder.

Naruto blinked.

Sakura was now smiling at him. "You're Uzumaki Naruto aren't you? We've met before, but I'm sure you don't remember. I'm pleased to be your seatmate."

Dumbfounded, Naruto accepted her extended hand. She looked cheerful, but her eyes were distant, her voice lugubrious. And then Naruto did what he did best—putting his foot on his mouth. "How come you flunked placement?" He asked.

Sakura blushed, and coughed again. "I was sick during the exams, so I apparently shaded the wrong circles." She smiled wanly, before turning her attention back to the adviser and leaving Naruto to his own devices.

Naruto turned to Shikamaru. Iruka was still droning on about his too – complicated policies, which didn't interest Naruto one bit. "Hey Shikamaru," he whispered, poking his seatmate on the side.

"What?" Shikamaru asked, a little bit irate.

"What is placement exam for, anyway?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "To determine what class we should be placed in, obviously."

"But that doesn't really measure our intelligence, does it? I mean, Sakura – chan's real smart, but she's here. All because she's sick an' all."

"Well, the goal of placement exam isn't to measure our intelligence, Naruto." Shikamaru explained impatiently. "It's done to put you in your section, based on your performance."

"Then what is the sense of that?" Naruto asked more confused than before.

Shikamaru sighed. "That's why you're called an idiot, Naruto. You're too straight – minded. The idea is to motivate the students to study so they don't end up here. That's also why the results are determined by grade bracketing, and not by ranking. It's supposed to help students develop a healthy study habit, not to measure intelligence or even aptitude."

"Soooo," Naruto said slowly. "It's just to divide us into sections?"

"Yes."

"Then what about Sakura – chan?"

"What about her? She's here, isn't she? So she now belongs to Class F."

"But she doesn't belong here!"

"Obviously."

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "But then—"

"Look, Naruto," Shikamaru cut off the blonde impatiently. "Although I doubt this would affect her ranking, the fact still remains that she scored low in the last placement. The only way for her out of here is to get a high grade in the next semestral placement exam."

"But that's months away," Naruto sulked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "It can't be—"

"Well," Iruka – sensei's voice cut in through Naruto and Shikamaru's conversation. His face was an impressive display of hearty disapproval as he glared pointedly at his two errant pupils, "since there isn't any objection from the concerned party, why don't we hear a few words from our new class president? The floor is yours, Nara – kun." His glower got more intense as he silently dared the lazy boy to stand up.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he pushed his seat backwards to stand. He walked forward with great deliberation. Once in front, he took his time surveying each student in class, looking at them as if he could read their minds. Everybody sat up straighter.

Iruka – sensei's phone beeped, and he frowned as he read his text message. "Excuse me, there is a meeting today. Everyone, listen to what your president has to say. I'll be back later."

There was silence as their homeroom adviser closed the door behind him. Shikamaru waited until the footsteps faded, before addressing the class. "Listen up, people," he began. "In this school, we are considered the lowest of all low, as good as trash."

The class leaned forward as one, interested with the heated words.

"We are given the worst facilities, the least attention. We are the lowest priority; we aren't even afforded a seat in the student government. Since the implementation of the caste system, we have been treated thus."

The class murmured approval.

Shikamaru surveyed all the rapt faces in the room with quiet intensity, before yelling, "ARE WE GOING TO LET THIS CONTINUE?"

"NO!" The whole class chorused enthusiastically.

"ARE WE GOING TO LET THEM TRAMPLE OUR DIGNITIES LIKE THIS?"

"NO!"

'We all pay the same tuition fees, we complete the same requisite number of hours of study, but we are treated differently, almost inhumanely. DO WE CONDONE THIS?"

"NO!"

"ARE WE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS AS STUDENTS OF THIS SCHOOL?"

"YES!"

"Then I propose a revolution," Shikamaru said intensely. "ARE YOU WITH ME IN WAGING A SUMMONS WAR?"

Silence.

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_well, that's that. cliffhanger much, i know. but hey, that's already more than 1500 words. if it intrigued you, then please tune in for the next chapter._

_p.s. can somebody please help me with this beta business? i'm a noob when it comes to such... and thank you to the kind soul who would heed my request. :D  
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	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: this one here's the second installment. i tried real hard to get this over with asap. kudos to _**darkness of the blue moon**_, who made this all better for your reading. to those who stopped by to read the first chapter, my appreciation. to those who returned for the second chapter, my gratitude._

_Disclaimer: because i forgot to put a disclaimer on the first chapter. i'm just a big fan (read otaku) who dreams big. doesn't mean i get paid for it (the pleasure of writing doesn't count!). doesn't mean you should sue me either. _

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**Chapter 2**

**The Revolution as Started by Class 2F**

**Part II**

The silence was deafening. It was as if the whole room was suddenly submerged in a deep lake, and everyone could but look at one another as if he were drowning. Outside, a cricket chirped.

Shikamaru sighed. "Oi, I thought you wanted to change things. Why are you hesitating now?"

"Uh, I hate to rain on your parade, Nara – san," piped up a girl, "but you're pretty much dreaming _impossible_! I mean, we're not Class F without a reason you know, how do you expect us to win against E?"

"Or A, for that matter," one boy added out loud.

"Yeah," several chorused. The class was suddenly filled with the din of the student's disbelieving complaints.

Shikamaru raised his hand. "Okay, okay," he said in a placating manner. "You think we can't win against those other sections. But have a little faith, can't you? We're not exactly _all_ idiots here, although we have the biggest idiot in our class."

"Hey, who're you calling an idiot?" Naruto asked, outraged.

"If the shoe fits, Naruto," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, the idiot aside, we do have Haruno – san in our class now."

"That's right," the girl from earlier murmured, stealing a glance at the newcomer, who blushed and ducked lower into her seat.

"And some of us aren't bad either. Most of you, I know, have B-level subjects at least," Shikamaru continued.

"Hells, yeah!" One boy yelled loudly. "Let's see those C bitches beat my History scores!"

As the class erupted into excited chatter, Shikamaru surveyed his classmates with some smugness. They were already getting into the excitement. Truth be told, Shikamaru wasn't really in for the thrill of the fight. Unlike many other males his age, Shikamaru wasn't a testosterone – filled teenager who's always looking for a violent and passionate outlet of some sort. No, Shikamaru was pretty much a laidback guy (much to the consternation of his upbeat mom) who preferred to sit through a quiet game of go or shougi or even chess, or just watch the clouds. Preferably on a grassy hill, of course. But Naruto's idiotic question's earlier gave him a pause, and caused him to think of one very interesting proposition.

Though laidback he may be, Shikamaru was also just a bored individual who idled through mundane classes. He had been tricked into entering Konoha Academy with the promise of "a different experience, the likes that no student has ever seen" (or so his father had elaborately put it). In truth, the idea of a rigid structuring and innovative test strategies had intrigued him at first. Even the infamous battle of Uchiha Sasuke vs. Hyuuga Neji was entertaining. At first. And it was a rather rich entertainment, very much worth the caliber of a genius, Shikamaru admitted resentfully. But that last entertainment had been more than a year ago, and nothing remotely interesting had ever happened since then.

Until Haruno Sakura came along. Somehow, he had this inkling suspicion that—

"Oi, Shikamaru, don't space out when you're standing there!"

Idiocy still does not count for entertainment, Shikamaru decided then and there. "Well anyway," he grumbled, "are you in with me or not?"

"Well, what's in it for us?" The girl earlier raised her hand and asked.

Shikamaru tamped down his annoyance. All he really wanted was to have a venue for his own entertainment (since the school couldn't even _bother_ to provide him that), and if his entertainment meant stirring up the whole school with a revolution of some sort, who's to stop him? The caste system should have already gone down the drain anyways—it was proving to be vexing, ineffective, and very misleading to idiots like Naruto. And yet convincing his classmates to lend him some aid was proving to be harder than having his tooth pulled by an inexperienced dentist. "If we defeat Class A, we can have their classroom. And they could all rot here in our garbage of a classroom. Wouldn't you all like that? I heard they have La-z boys for seats."

"And they have their kitchenette." Naruto added proudly. "Stocked by the school."

Murmurs of excitement. Shikamaru wanted to pull out his hair by the roots in exasperation. Really, how long could it take for them to decide? A semester? A year? A lifetime? "Really, what are you pussyfooting on about? Look at this room. Look at us. We've got nothing to lose, and very much to gain."

Sakura sat at the back of the room, studying the whole class quietly. It was vastly different from Class A, that was indeed evident. In her middle school year, she had been taken to a regular high school in the district, and saw for herself how a regular high schooler lived. Class F reminded her of the class she had observed. The students were all living in their own tiny bubbles:they tended to focus on their own interest, and ignore those that failed to catch their attention.

There were exceptions, however. There was Uzumaki Naruto-san, who was known to the whole school as the lowest passer ever—he was admitted with an entrance exam score of zero, if such a thing even existed. And then there was, of course, Nara Shikamaru.

Sakura knew of Nara Shikamaru only by reputation. He had been in Class F since the start of their freshman year. But within that laidback pose, Sakura knew, resided the mind of a genius. The rumor about his astounding IQ was very much real, Sakura knew. So were the rumors that he was a lazy bum, and preferred to observe, rather than act.

It was rather surprising to find him on his feet, in front of the class, proposing this ridiculous endeavor. But what a pleasant surprise it was, although Sakura suspected there was more to it than just a mere outrage at the inequality the caste system facilitated. And it fascinated her too, to see this new aspect of life at the academy.

Sakura knew that this grand plan had about 95% chance of failing. She knew that their class president knew it too, although he appeared to be unwilling to share this tidbit of information with his excited comrades. She didn't know what else their astute leader had perceived in his one year's worth of observing the academy's system, or the scope of his understanding of the school's social hierarchy itself. What she knew was that with Nara Shikamaru at the helm, he'd make this downhill ride one hell of an experience.

And should he go down, he'd bring everyone he can grasp—the whole school even, if he got lucky—with him.

And so she raised her hand, and asked," Do you have a plan for this scheme, Nara – san?"

One black eyebrow raised. "Of course, Haruno – san. How much detail do you want to know?"

"Then I'd like to join you in your so – called revolution, if you don't mind."

Shikamaru could not help the grin that shaped his lips. "Our newcomer has cast her vote, classmates. What do you say to that? Are you in, or out?"

This time, there was no silence. The classroom walls shook with the loud collective response of the entire class. "Bring it on!"

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_and that's second installment for you. i'm shaking because i'm not confident that i did shikamaru justice. and sakura too. to those who will leave a review, my love._


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: third chapter finally up. my apologies to those who agonized over the long wait. still, i'd love to receive feedback.  
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**Chapter 3**

**Crushing and Eavesdropping and Crushing in the Figurative Sense**

Next morning found Nara Shikamaru entering the classroom at seven o' clock, a good one hour earlier than the usual morning bell. It was not unusual as this had been his habit since freshman year to go to school earlier than most.

His home was a definite 'ugh' in every sense of the word. His mother would yell from the bottom of the stairs (insert warning cry of 'SHIKAMARU!') for him to 'get his lazy ass off the bed and get ready for school'. At exactly 5:45 a.m. which was in turn _two hours and fifteen goddamn minutes_ before the morning bell.

He, in turn, would grumble and get up (because not getting up would mean a cold reality check, which was a bucketful of cold water in the face) and take a fifteen – minute shower. At exactly six, he was expected to be down and seated at the dining table, ready to eat breakfast, just like a perfect little boy. How troublesome. While his father read the morning paper (because even the Nara patriarch was not exempted from the good morning call), his mother puttered around the kitchen, he was supposed to dutifully scarf down his serving of eggs and chug down his glass of milk. His mother seemed to never have gotten the note saying that his son now has an eight o' clock start, and he's a teenager. Who sure as hell doesn't need to eat eggs and drink milk 'to grow properly'. But still, Shikamaru would obey, because disobeying would result in his mother harping about it and everything else, and listening to her mother's rant was such a pain.

So every morning he would leave the house at 6:30 and catch the downtown bus to Konoha Academy, and be the first among his classmates to arrive. In a way it suited him; it gave him about an hour (thirty minutes at the least) of relative peace and quiet (without the usual rowdy morning buzz and, most importantly, Naruto's loud voice). As an added bonus, he could also nap without his mother's nagging.

Shikamaru was in for a big surprise though. Because that morning, as he stepped into the room that was Class 2F, he found himself amidst a disarray that consisted of chairs, desks, more chairs and desks as well as—surprise, surprise—Naruto. No doubt he was orchestrating the entire inane mess. "What," Shikamaru asked crossly, "is the meaning of this?"

Naruto looked up, surprised. "Oh, it's just you, Shikamaru. I'm rearranging the seats. See?"

Shikamaru stalked to his own usual spot (which, thankfully, remained untouched). "Troublesome," he muttered. "Just don't make a lot of noise, alright?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically before dragging a steel – footed desk (legacy of Class E), creating a horrible grating noise. Shikamaru winced. "What's with you today?" he asked irritably.

"I –uh, well, Sakura – chan looked like she's allergic to dust, and so I'm rearranging these chairs to get those stuffy chairs away from the back row."

Shikamaru studied his longtime seatmate with great interest. If arranging chairs for an allergic girl was a weak indicator of Naruto's budding crush, then the fact that he wore the school uniform wasn't.

Like all rebellious teenagers who eschewed restrictions, Naruto was obstinate about wearing uniform. Sure, Ebisu – sensei had long since instilled the basic sense of obedience in him, Naruto retained, however, the art of compromising to perfection— assed versions of the school uniform were his trademark. Today, however, he was in full regalia. Although his white polo shirt with the chest pocket on the left was a little bit rumpled and not perfectly tucked into his pants, and his collar was crooked, Naruto was proudly wearing the standard charcoal gray three – piece suit. His tie was of acceptable colors (somber gray and maroon—none of his wacky My Melody ties). Even his black dress shoes were polished to a sheen. He also even managed to locate his name pin and fasten it, albeit crookedly, on top of his pocket. Shikamaru had to admit, he was impressed.

Amused by the sudden transition, Shikamaru couldn't help the urge to take a dig at him. "Why are you the wearing uniform, Naruto?"

To his credit, Naruto did not blush. Nope. Instead, he turned red all over, from the tips of his ears to the base of his neck, like a ripe angry, tomato. "Uh, I noticed Sakura – chan was wearing full uniform yesterday, and, erm, Sakura – chan's a good role model? Yeah, yeah, that's it! So there, I thought I ought to be like her."

"You seem to notice a lot about Haruno – san, huh?"

"I do?" Naruto's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and then he caught himself. "I mean, I don't. Of course I don't!"

Shikamaru closed his eyes lazily, but not before adding, "You have a crush on her, don't you?"

"I do not!" Naruto declared hotly. With a stomp and a huff, he pushed the last bit of the desk into its proper position. "I'm just being nice, is all!" He huffed and fell backwards into his seat, which was now a rather uncomfortable plastic, high – backed chair. After a while, he sighed. "Well maybe just a little," he amended in a whisper.

Shikamaru, who had been lightly napping, opened one eye, and regarded his classmate seriously. "You better stop that foolish infatuation now, while it's still early," he said. "The likes of Haruno Sakura ain't suited for this place. Or you, for that matter."

"I know that," Naruto replied mutinously. "I'm not stupid."

"Your actions this morning beg to contradict," Shikamaru argued reasonably, "and your exam grades second the motion."

Naruto barked in irritation. At that moment he could have happily strangled Shikamaru without a single regret.

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By the end of the day, Naruto was ready to admit defeat to whoever was willing to claim victory. Sakura had shown up wearing the barest minimum of the required uniform for the female—she had opted to tie her light gray blazer (with a red zip and a red bar over the pocket) around the waist, and wear her white blouse—with two buttons undone over a sky-blue tee—untucked over charcoal gray pleated skirt. Her black socks were ankle – length, and her brown buckle – up dress shoes were scruffed. The school emblem (a stylized leaf), embossed in silver, was the only decoration over her left breast pocket; her name pin she did not wear.

And even if Naruto didn't rue the fact that he and Sakura – chan did not look like a couple with matching uniform (because really, no one in Class F bothered to wear the proper uniform; even Shikamaru ditched his coat for survival)—which he did indeed—Naruto had forgotten one important fact. Their class's air conditioning unit was a very contrary appliance. And so he was forced to endure a very hot, sweltering day, complete with the ribbings of his classmates, who obviously enjoyed his suffering.

Rubbing salt into the wound was the fact that nobody—not even Sakura—noticed the change in the seats.

So, at the end of the last period, Naruto was more than ready to be the first one to bolt from the class, and have a good sulk at Ichiraku Ramen. He was, however, beaten to the door by a streak of pale pink, unmistakably Sakura's hair. There was no other way; Naruto followed her, very much like a stalker obsessing over his idol. He followed her carefully, until they reached the rooftop.

He had barely opened the heavy metal door a crack when he heard a voice, deep and dark—a voice he knew so well—speak, "What are you doing here?"

Naruto clearly heard Sakura's reply, "I surmised you'd be here, so I went up."

"Why do you need to go look for me?"

"I – I – I wanted to tell you that I got sick on the day of the exam, and—"

Naruto's heart clenched at the uncertainty in Sakura's voice.

"I don't need your explanation," came the cold reprimand. "Is there anything else? If you don't have anything important to say, then take your leave."

"I'm – I'm sorry, Sasuke – kun."

"I don't need you to apologize either. You are annoying."

No response from Sakura. Instead she came flying through the metal door. It was a good thing that Naruto was hidden in the shadows; he had a good vantage point without being caught. For a moment, time froze. He saw with terrible clarity the tears that tracked down Sakura's pale cheeks as she paused for a moment to catch her breath. He saw the agony in her eyes as she clutched at the place her heart was located, as if wishing she could tear it out, right then and there. He was transfixed by her eyes, eyes that had darkened into a deep jade. His own heart thudded painfully. It was a crime, for someone to make a girl like Sakura cry. Sakura should never have to cry, to have her heart broken by such callous words.

And so Naruto glanced sharply through the small crack in the door, glimpsing the silhouette of Uchiha Sasuke standing with his hands in his pockets, as if making Sakura cry was an everyday thing. And, as his own heart cracked with his first unrequited crush, he made a vow. When the summons war draws to a close, Uchiha Sasuke will go down. Very painfully.

And so Kami help him, he would crush Uchiha Sasuke, or his name wasn't Uzumaki Naruto.

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_such a drastic turn from the last two chapters, no? i had to establish this twisted love triangle (that never really existed-tsk, your sense of imagination knows no boundaries, lyssanja) first. next chapter's gonna be all action. or plans. for the first skirmish. my knees are already shaking._

_and that's because i don't know how to write action scenes. haha._

_my tremors just got worse.  
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	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: and we're back to thursday updates. hopefully, it'll stay that way. loads of credits for this early post go to _**darkness of the blue moon**_, my awesome beta reader who edited this in record time. you're the best! reviews, anyone?_

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**Chapter 4**

**Conversations**

Yamanaka Ino leaned back on her iron-wrought seat, studying her friend carefully. Haruno Sakura sat opposite her, sipping her oolong tea daintily as her green eyes held Ino's blue ones unwaveringly.

Sakura had been Ino's unofficial best friend since they were five. Eleven years had passed since then, and they now moved in different circles. Sakura had gone on to become a top student, her life focused solely on academics, while Ino had proceeded to become a social butterfly, gaining popularity throughout the entire student body. Still, they met together at least once a week, in an out-of-the-way café just behind their school.

Today was not any different from their usual quality time. It was their first meeting since the start of the semester, and Ino was bursting with news-juicy rumors about the students, naughty scandals, titillating blind item gossips. Except that her friend was acting differently. Today, Sakura had a fragile aura about her, as if she had received a terrible blow and was holding on through sheer will. Her movements were measured and careful.

Steeling her resolve, Ino put down her cup of rose tea, and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Sakura, in the middle of biting into a piece of blueberry cheesecake, put her fork down and smiled. "Nothing is bothering me, Ino. You seem troubled, though. Are you sure you are alright?"

Ino frowned. "Of course I am. I have never been better, actually. Class B is the same as usual, great atmosphere, not too slow, not too demanding."

Sakura smiled wanly, and said nothing more.

Ino sighed. When they had first enrolled in Konoha Academy, the two friends had been placed in Class A. Back then, they had both been enthralled. Ino had pursued to study in Konoha Academy primarily to get close to Uchiha Sasuke, and she had dragged her best friend (who didn't object; she was also equally obsessed about the guy) to take the entrance examination. Ino's enchantment, however, gradually waned as the first semester dragged on; Uchiha Sasuke's single – minded determination to challenge anyone he deemed a worthy opponent, as well as his heavy emphasis on _mundane_ things like ranking and grades was a major turn – off for Ino. Come second semester, Ino purposefully got into Section B, and she's loved being the queen bee of her class immensely.

In a way, she understood Sakura's dejection at being placed in an entirely new—and different—setting. Ino had gone through the same process. She also knew that unlike her, Sakura had not wanted to be thrown out of Class A. She loved it there. Unlike Ino, Sakura thrived on Sasuke's challenges, breathed on that man's praises (however sparse they may be). Sakura lived for Sasuke.

Before she knew it, Ino was sighing again. "So, how is Class F?" She prodded her friend. "Are you fitting in with your classmates?"

Sakura shrugged delicately. "It is alright, I guess. Most of my classmates are indifferent, although they were amazed to see me at first."

"Met anyone interesting?" Ino wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

"Not really, no," Sakura replied. "But there's Nara Shikamaru in my class. Uzumaki Naruto too."

Ino's eyes narrowed, her mind instantly zeroing in on one name. "That lazy pile of bones is still in Class F? I thought he'd be bored by now and move to Class D at least."

"He's currently the class president, and he's planning something," Sakura replied carefully, immediately grasping Ino's reference to Shikamaru.

"Please," Ino said dismissively. "The only time Shikamaru plans is when he wants to escape his sweet mother, that incorrigible guy."

"He wants to start a summons war."

Ino nearly choked on the dregs of her tea. "He what?" She half – screeched as she wiped her lips with a table napkin.

"He wants to start a summons war," Sakura repeated amusedly.

"I heard you the first time," Ino snapped. "The nerve of that guy! Doesn't he know that he's got at most 5% chances of success?"

"I'm sure he knows," Sakura responded, her forefinger tracing the rim of her teacup, "but the rest of the class doesn't."

"Oh God," Ino murmured faintly. "Does he have a plan at least?"

"He says that he has, although he has yet to explain anything to us. He just up and announced it on the first day, then the next day, it's as if nothing happened. The whole class has been on the verge of teetering these past two weeks. Too much excitement and tension."

"Well, knowing him," Ino commented acerbically, "he's probably planned until ten steps into this game. That's everything to him—just a game."

Not far away, inside his room, Shikamaru sneezed. Naruto, whom he had invited over for dinner, looked at him, momentarily distracted from his frenzied attack on Shikamaru's PS2. "Someone's talking about you," Naruto said slyly. "I wonder who it is."

"What a drag," Shikamaru responded drolly. "Your smell just irritated my nose, idiot. Go take a shower for a change."

"Hey!" Naruto cried, offended. "You're such a mean friend!"

"Blame it on Ino," Shikamaru shrugged irritably. "Her meanness is communicable, you know. It really rubs off on others."

"Yeah, whatever," Naruto answered uninterestedly, his mind going back to his game. "What've you planned for the summons war, anyway?"

"We'll discuss strategies on homeroom tomorrow," Shikamaru said. "If everyone agrees to my plan, we'll be ready to take down E the day after."

"You've mapped it all out?" Naruto sounded incredulous, even while furiously punching the controls, his eyes glued on the screen.

"Oi," Shikamaru protested. "Can't you get any harsher on my joystick? That's not cheap, you know!"

Naruto did not reply. He continued pounding.

Shikamaru sighed. "I've already made three squads for our battle against Class E. You won't be joining the main fight though," he said. Somehow, Shikamaru could feel Naruto's aggression; it was radiating off him in waves. Shikamaru did not really understand it, but he somehow suspected the reason for it.

Last week, Naruto had been in a bad mood entirely, snarling at anyone who dared as much as cross his path. Sakura, on the other hand, had been depressed, her eyes glassy and all teary, as if she's ready to cry any moment. Everyone had steered clear of the two's paths.

Shikamaru vaguely wondered if Naruto had confessed on the rooftop, and got rejected. But even as the idea formed in his mind, he rejected it. Depression isn't the usual reaction for a confession, and Sakura certainly wasn't at all awkward around Naruto. Naruto, though, acted awkwardly around Sakura, almost as if…

Shikamaru contemplated on the chances of Uchiha Sasuke fitting into the equation.

Naruto's reply, three minutes too slow in coming, almost cemented his hypothesis. "I don't care if I may not be able to fight against E, D, C, or B. But I will be in the battle against A, Shikamaru. I _will_ rip that bastard apart with my own two hands."

Shikamaru just shrugged, too wise to reply.

Back at the café, Ino scrutinized her friend with a degree of uneasiness. Outside, the skies had grown dark, and the time to leave was drawing to a close. Still, Ino felt that Sakura was still burdened by something, something that she hadn't cared to divulge to her own best friend. Ino knew she was dying to, but she didn't know how to.

And so, she asked gently, "Is there something you want to tell me, Sakura?"

For a moment, Sakura remained silent. As the seconds ticked by, Ino feared she wouldn't tell. She was about to say that it was okay for Sakura to not tell her if she didn't want to, when Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "I talked with Sasuke – kun last week, Ino."

Ino stiffened. She knew the implications of Sakura's words. Still, she had to ask, "And? What did he say?"

"He doesn't need me anymore, Ino," Sakura said in a small voice.

At that moment, Ino sincerely wished she had a gun so she could hunt down that bastard who had been her crush (what had she been thinking?) and put a bullet through his black heart. Sakura's face when she had said those words was a mask of agony.

Ino understood her friend's pain. All her life, Sakura lived in an isolated world. As a child, her earnestness had been understood by children her age as being a trying hard wannabe, and rejected her based on it. In fact though, it was the expression of Sakura's driving need to please others, to meet expectations. Sakura had never had a normal childhood. Her parents had divorced when she was still a baby, her father leaving her with her mother in order to travel the world. Her mother, in frustration, had thrown herself into work, unconsciously neglecting her own child in her need to form an outlet for her own emotions. And so Sakura had grown craving for her mother's attention, and then consequently, everyone else's approval. Everyone had ridiculed her for it, and only Ino had understood.

Ino had come from almost the same background. Although her own parents doted on her, they were both busy individuals; her father's business in the shipping industry ate up all his time, while her mother, a social butterfly, spent all her time either partying or resting up for the next party. Ino had also known what it was like to be neglected by one's own parents.

And so it also pained her to see her friend in such a dismal state, rejected by someone she had depended on doing what her mother failed to do—acknowledging her. Ino couldn't help but feel pity for her friend. "He probably doesn't mean it, Sakura."

Sakura smiled bitterly. "Oh, but he does, Ino. He meant it. He even called me annoying. Again."

Oh, heavens. Ino was at loss for excuses.

Sakura continued, her distress evident. "I'm in Class F now. And I feel like Sasuke –kun has abandoned me. It's like—I feel like a ship who lost its anchor, Ino. I don't know what I did wrong. It's not like I meant to get sick on the first day—"

"You're right with one thing, Sakura," Ino interrupted her rambling gently. "You're in Class F now. You and Sasuke–kun, you're on opposite sides of a line, Sakura. It doesn't mean you've done something wrong, it only means that things have changed. You have to accept that. Sasuke – kun shouldn't factor in your life anymore."

"But—"

"Join in on Shika's little war," Ino advised. "It sounds interesting, don't you think?"

"Yes, but—"

"Who knows, we might have to contend against each other. Now I wonder,' Ino said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Can you beat me?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized the implication of Ino's words. Of course! Ino was in Class B. It wasn't the same as before, when they had both been with Sasuke, fighting whoever together. This time, they were on two different teams, teams that would inevitably clash as Class F fought to rise to the top.

"I don't think I've told you, but I'm Class B's president now."

As her mind whirred with numerous possible scenarios, Sakura could only coherently put up one thought. _'Holy shit!'_

_

* * *

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_the action scenes got pushed back to the next chapter again. i'm really stalling._

_belated thanks to _**KeshvsWhitepoison**_, whose reviews were instrumental in the improvement of my writing this story. ^^,_

_keep it coming, guys._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: and finally, chapter 5 is out. this chapter's theme seems to be "lyssanja eating her words"._

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* * *

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**Chapter 5**

**The Battle Plan**

At 8:10 in the morning, exactly ten minutes after he left the faculty room to proceed to his advisory class, Umino Iruka strode back to his cubicle mechanically—much like a zombie, one hand clutching a styro of steaming coffee. He sat back on his grey office chair looking dazed.

Beside him, Mifune Ebisu, adviser for Class 1 – F, took one look at him and snorted sympathetically. "Uzumaki Naruto happened to you, huh?"

Iruka was much too disoriented to even comprehend his colleague's words.

Ebisu, however, didn't notice, and also didn't care. "I can't say I don't pity you, Iruka. He's the worst thing that happened to me since, well, ever." He chuckled mirthlessly, shaking his head, and clapping his co-worker on the shoulder. "That boy is a teacher's worst nightmare. What did he do now? Convince his classmates that you're sick and to visit you in the hospital?"

Iruka finally managed to reply with a, "They booted me out."

Ebisu had the grace to look surprised before frowning. "What?"

"The whole class, they threw me out." Iruka downed his coffee like a shot of alcohol. "They just pushed me out and barred the door."

Ebisu snorted again and shook his head. "Typical. Those runts are such barbarians. They just do whatever they want, without a care for whoever they may inconvenience with their irresponsible actions! Really, all of them are the same!" Ebisu's voice dripped with bitterness; a year spent with 'the little monsters from hell' was still imprinted permanently in his mind's eye.

"Well not all of them," Iruka muttered as he took another swig of coffee. He leaned back into his chair. The faculty room was mostly empty, except for him and Ebisu, as well as a three or four others. The massive room was quieter than the usual. He could grow to like this, he thought with an inward grimace.

Ebisu, not aware of Iruka's mental ramblings, begged to disagree with the benevolent teacher. "I don't think I've ever met an F student who showed as much courtesy as dog poop left on the streets."

"Haruno Sakura," Iruka replied promptly, "handed me this coffee and apologized. Before slamming the door on my face."

* * *

Back at the classroom, Shikamaru stood in front of his classmates, an unfamiliar wave of resignation washing over him. He could grow accustomed to this, he thought wryly. This was a classic example of the reluctant leading the blind. Or, in his case, the sly man (with layers upon layers of ulterior motives) leading the happily ignorant. All of Class F was leaning forward in their chairs, their eyes rapt with uncharacteristic attention. For once, the whole class of good – for – nothings was united towards achieving a single goal, and everyone was fired up.

Shikamaru let the lull last a little longer before speaking up, "It's time, guys. Tomorrow we will rally against Class E."

The boys rang out a wild war-cry, pumping their fists into the air.

Despite himself, Shikamaru was amused. 'Quiet down," he said, knocking them back down a little. "You don't expect to march tomorrow and win without a plan, do you?"

Shikamaru sighed, muttering a quiet "idiots" under his breath, his good mood diminishing. He waited a moment for the embarrassed laughter to die down before once again sighing and continuing, "The first battle will begin tomorrow after class. By then, most teachers will be outside after their respective classes are out for the day. It is _crucial _that we get most of the advisory teachers to facilitate the battles. It is imperative that we get Hatake – sensei, Iruka – sensei, and Asuma – sensei to smooth out the progress of the battles. Ibiki – sensei too, if anybody has the guts. I have checked the faculty timetable, and luckily, Hatake – sensei's last class is with B. Iruka – sensei will be with us, of course, and Asuma – sensei will be going out of Class E.

"I have divided you guys into three groups. The first group's mission is to stop Asuma – sensei from going back to the faculty room after the classes. You have to corner him at the hallway between Wings E and F. The second group will likewise stop Hatake – sensei's progress at the hallway between A and B. The third will cage Iruka – sensei here in the classroom."

"I have a question," a girl asked. "We are supposed to 'capture' these teachers all at the same time, correct?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Then how are we supposed to coordinate with all three groups?"

Shikamaru stared at the girl pensively. "What is your name?"

If the girl was offended at Shikamaru's absolute ignorance of her identity (despite their one year's worth of being classmates), she didn't show it. Instead, she replied, "Shimada Minami."

"Ah!" Shikamaru exclaimed in surprise. "You're the one who's good with Mathematics, yes?"

At that, the Shimada girl beamed in pride.

"But then again, you suck in kanji."

And at that, the Shimada girl deflated.

"Aa," Shikamaru said, noticing his classmate's dejection, "my bad, my bad. I've put you in the second group. You can lead that team." He then proceeded to hand out a sheaf of papers to the class. "That's the list of your groupings. First group, you can choose your own leader. I myself will personally handle third group."

Shimada Minami once again raised her hand. Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched in barely concealed annoyance. A vein throbbed in his forehead. "You have a question, Shimada–san?"

"Not a question exactly, Nara-san, but Haruno – san isn't on this list," quipped Shimada.

"Ah, yes. Well, since the last exam we took was the placement exam, it would be reasonable to say that Haruno – san's scores would not be at its best. It would be better for her to take the Summons Exam to boost her scores.

"Now if no one has anymore questions, I will now explain the finer details of the plan. Listen up, people. It is essential that we get to our positions before Class E manages to disperse into their individual places. We cannot engage in individual battles. Herd as much people as you can into the corners," Shikamaru further explained. "And please put forth decent teamwork. You have to bring down as many Class E students as you can."

Sakura sat back in her own seat, twiddling her thumbs, staring idly as Shikamaru drew furiously on the blackboard. They were supposed to be having their homeroom advisory class that hour, but Shikamaru had determined that their battle plans were a more important topic for discussion than sweeping assignments and what – not. Truthfully though, Sakura had already lost her enthusiasm for Shikamaru's proposed war.

Yes, Ino's challenge had fuelled her competitive side, and piqued her curiosity. It was, after all, the first time they would—if heaven allowed it—meet on the opposite sides of the battlefield after their admission at Konoha Academy. But then again, no amount of challenge, or anything else for that matter, could lighten up the darkness inside her heart.

At the thought, Sakura felt herself being swallowed up in a fresh wave of despair. Shikamaru's exclusion of her in the plans was like a slap in the face that came a close second to Sasuke's rude brush – off. It was like a blaring hint that she didn't belong in Class F.

For a moment, Sakura was tempted to divulge to Shikamaru about—

"Hey, Sakura – chan! You 'kay?"

Sakura blinked. Naruto's face swam into vision, causing Sakura to back away instinctively. "Uh," she said nervously, "I'm sorry, I've been spacing out a lot lately." She smiled sheepishly. "What was it you were talking about?"

"It's time for PE, Sakura – chan," Naruto said, a heavy frown marring his generally cheerful face. "You're supposed to change your clothes at the gym."

"Oh right." Sakura faked a laugh to hide her discomfort, before dashing off to the general direction of the gym. She really wasn't in the PE course, but oh what the heck.

* * *

At 4:10 in the afternoon, exactly ten minutes after his last class, Umino Iruka once again strode back to his cubicle mechanically—very much like a zombie. He sat back on his grey office chair in a daze.

Beside him, Mifune Ebisu, class adviser for Class 1 – F, took one look and snorted in annoyance. "What now?"

Iruka was in too much a daze to even comprehend his colleague's words.

Ebisu was miffed. "What the heck is your problem, man?"

Iruka finally managed to reply, "They looked like they wanted to eat me."

Ebisu frowned. "What?"

"The whole time, they were looking at me like I'm some tasty morsel or something. And that Nara kid, he looked at me real speculatively, like he was planning how to corner me or something."

"Start making sense, man. What are you talking about?"

"They're planning something," Iruka muttered feverishly. "I'm starting to fear for my life."

If Ebisu thought that his colleague was being overly dramatic, his snort said it all. "What happened to you?"

Iruka stared Ebisu in the eye before replying earnestly, almost comically, "Class F happened to me."

* * *

_i have taken to visiting the story traffic page. i'm vain that way._


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: lyssanja's not yet dead. in case you're wondering what happened to here, the answer is school. _

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**Chapter 6**

**Snags in the Supposedly Smooth Plan**

At exactly 16:00 hours the following day, the students of Class F made their move.

As news of the impending battle spread over the school like wildfire, the corridors became congested with bystanders hoping to get a glimpse of the spectacle. The consensus was 3:1, in favor of Class E.

Shimada Minami marched through the throng, her palms sweating heavily. She knew the consensus. She also knew that the public was in accord with the opinion that what they were doing was excessively foolhardy. If she could have backed out of the plan, she would have done so willingly, regrets be damned.

But then again, the look on kaichou's face as the school signaled the end of a school – day, and the beginning of a war, left no room for second thoughts. And so, here she was, palms sweating, heart palpitating, rushing over to B Wing to retrieve Hatake – sensei. _If she could get to Hatake – sensei_, she thought churlishly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kinoshita Hideyoshi, elected leader of first group, turn at the corners, heading for Class E. Her thoughts stopped in the middle of their tracks. She came up with a startling realization.

Nara Shikamaru was a real genius to have thought up an elaborate plan with such simple procedures. His strategy was to gather the three teachers with different areas of specialty to facilitate the battle, allowing a wider range of battle options to choose from. He had also grouped the students according to their forte, and matching them to the teacher that would suit them best. Hatake – sensei taught Algebra and Trigonometry, and her grades in all her math tests did not go lower than A-. Likewise, Kinoshita Hideyoshi was a straight A student in Social Studies. His History, at the very least, was C level. Nara Shikamaru was also kind enough to think of the corners that cut off the view of B Wing from E Wing. It would be a total ambush if Minami succeeded in getting Hatake – sensei to facilitate, and then complete the pincer formation.

At that, Minami had to grin. Not only was it a brilliant plan, it also gave Minami the less dirty work. If she succeeded, she could get as much credit, without having to do the brunt of work. After all, Hideyoshi was the one who would have to face the president of Class E; all Minami had to do was to hack up the remnants. It suited her.

As she rounded up the corner, she felt adrenaline rush through her system, revving her up. "Let's do this," she yelled to her squad, pumping her fist into the air and was answered with a fierce cry. But on the inside, she steeled herself, because she was neither as confident nor as excited as she sounded. They all ran the last few meters towards Hatake – sensei, only to skid to a startled stop.

Nakabayashi Hiromi, the snotty president of Class E, was standing directly beside Hatake – sensei, looking all smug and gung – ho for battle.

_Oh crap_, was all that ran through Minami's head.

* * *

Back at the classroom, Naruto looked on idly as Shikamaru played chess alone. The two were the only ones left in the room; everybody else in the third group had been sent outside to guard the room, Iruka – sensei in tow.

Shikamaru was all for the wait; Naruto was not. "Ne, Shikamaru," he whined churlishly. "What do you think's happening outside?"

"Most probably, Shimada – san's group has already met up with most of Class E's best students, along with their president" Shikamaru answered absently, "and Kinoshita – san should be cleaning up the remnants quite nicely."

"Huh?" Naruto was bemused. "But I thought Shimada'd be going to B. Ya know, to get Kaka – sensei an' all."

"That was the plan, yes."

"Then why is she meeting with the E president guy?"

"The 'guy' happens to be a girl, Naruto. At least know your facts, why don't you?" Shikamaru asked a little bit irately, as he moved his white knight forward.

"So why?" Naruto persisted, ignoring Shikamaru's jibe.

"Because Nakabayashi – san isn't exactly an idiot," Shikamaru said, giving up the idea of throwing Naruto off course. "And her forte is Geometry. Besides, she has the advantage of being closer to B Wing, so she'd probably arrive there earlier than Shimada – san."

'But I thought we were gonna ambush them E's?" Naruto asked, even more perplexed than before.

Shikamaru shrugged. "It's easier for you all to think that way, so I let you think so."

"Then—"

"Yes, Naruto," Shikamaru sighed exasperatedly. "Shimada – san's group is now, so to speak, the frontliner. Kinoshita – san will provide backup."

There was silence as Naruto digested that piece of information. And then, he noticed the alignment of Shikamaru's chess pieces. For a moment there was blessed silence.

"So what happens next?"

"You idiot," Shikamaru snapped, "What do you think will happen? Of course they will all fall back to here!"

"Kinda like one big mess? Doesn't that sound like they just went out there head on?"

Shikamaru ground his teeth. "Yes."

"Then? What happens next?"

Shikamaru slapped his palm on his forehead. "That," he drawled in a slow, frustrated manner, "is the second stage of my plan."

* * *

Minami took a step back, suddenly apprehensive. Nakabayashi Hiromi had seen her already, and the bitch was smirking triumphantly. Beside her, Hatake – sensei was scratching the back of his head.

"Well, well, well," Hiromi said sarcastically. "Shimada Minami, isn't it? So," she suddenly towered, her hands on her hips, face contorted evilly and leant towards them. She suddenly grinned sadistically.

"You lot ready for the biggest thrashing of your life?"

"W – Why are you here?" Minami's voice trembled in spite of herself. At her back, her team was already frantically murmuring, bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

"You mean, why am I not in my classroom, obediently waiting for some other F lackey?" Hiromi laughed. "Please. Don't mistake me for an idiot like you. It's so easy to see through your plans, you know."

Minami clenched her fists. So much for Shikamaru's brilliant tactics.

'What now?" one of her classmates asked.

"We improvise," she said with a bravado that she didn't really feel. She sized up her opponents. Aside from Nakabayashi Hiromi, who was also a natural with crunching numbers, half of Class E were scattered in the hallway of B Wing, awaiting their leader's orders. They were the upper half of the E food chain; definitely with higher exam grades than Minami's own makeshift team. It wasn't looking good for her, Minami decided.

Hiromi must have sensed Minami's own apprehension. She smirked smugly before activating a battle sphere, enclosing the entire hallway. "Hatake – sensei," she said sweetly, "we're ready to call a battle, if you please."

"All right," Hatake – sensei drawled out. "How do you want it done?"

Hiromi's smirk grew wider. "Cumulative test scores would be more than enough."

Minami jerked back, as if struck. They would battle with the sum of all their test scores in the most recent exam, which was of course the placement. It was no secret that all of them in the second group were virtually goners.

_If only I had gotten to Hatake – sensei earlier_, she thought feverishly. But there was no time for what – ifs; Hiromi's team was already advancing.

One student fell down. "Oi, Shimada!" her classmate yelled frantically, dodging an attack from Hiromi. "We can't fight with cumulative test scores, we'll lose!"

"I know!" Minami yelled back. She too, was busy dancing between the deadly attacks. It was hard; they were overpowered and rapidly getting outnumbered. Oh, she shuddered to think of the fates of those who have fallen in battle.

"What do we do now?"

Minami's mind whirred. Hiromi advanced. Taking a step back, Minami did the first thing that came to mind. "Time for Plan B!" she yelled to her troops. "RETREAT!"

* * *

_and this is how the epic battle of the underdogs with their direct superiors started. there's more to this development, of course. to those who reviewed in my absence (those i failed to give a reply), i appreciated them. please don't tire of reading my little story. ^^,  
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	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: an update, at last! thanks again to _**darkness of the blue moon**_-for sticking around. :) this would have been up sooner if i didn't keep having troubles with logging in. happy valentine's anyone?_

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**Chapter 7**

**The Strategic and Hasty Retreat of Class 2F**

While Shimada Minami was cutting off her arms and legs in an attempt to strategically retreat from the main force of Class E, Kinoshita Hideyoshi was having the time of his life, hacking his way through what remained in their classroom. Similarly, his men were having their own grand time, ganging up on the enemy left in the battlefield.

They all had marched into the battlefield thinking themselves dead men, but resolved into holding out until reinforcements came. It was an appeal to their nobler side, Hideyoshi surmised, as most of them were males, and somehow, the idea of being the frontliners—the brave warriors who faced death without trembling—was alluring. Imagine their surprise then to find the wing almost empty, save for a few cocky E students, who merely smirked and launched a cumulative History scores battle.

At that, Hideyoshi snorted. Having a cumulative History scores battle was his lucky break, turning over the tide of the battle. With one swipe of his avatar's naginata, half of their enemies were eliminated. The rest were being taken care of by his squad's combined efforts.

The thundering footfalls of retreating comrades made Kinoshita Hideyoshi look up from his latest killing. His eyes widened at the sight of less than twenty of his classmates—what remains of Shimada Minami's forces—rushing towards him. The self-proclaimed math wizard was at the helm, leading her troops. Towards him. With an army of what looked to him like hellhounds.

Panic rushed through Hideyoshi's spine. "What are you doing?" He cried to the Minami when she got nearer. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"And we're not supposed to be fighting the president!" Was Minami's reply.

"Stay back!" Hideyoshi cried, not caring for Minami's retort. Or the fact that, had the plan gone through, he would've been the one dancing around Nakabayashi Hiromi. "Don't go any nearer! You'll mess up my battle sphere!"

His words were all for naught. The first group fell back at an alarming speed, as Class E's top students advanced relentlessly, preying on the wounded. More and more of Class F's students fell, prolonging the list of those who would join in on Morino Ibiki – sensei's 'Detention from Hell'. Soon, the two battle spheres collided.

All hell broke loose. The moment the two spheres overlapped, Nakabayashi's group turned to Hideyoshi's. A loud battle cry rang, coming from Class E. To the wounded underdogs, it was like the call of Morrigan.

* * *

In the midst of the battle, Hideyoshi found himself back – to – back with Minami. "This is not working," he cried desperately, slashing at another enemy who came from nowhere. His quick victory had, in the blink of an eye, dissolved into an all – out melee, confounded by the convergence of the battle spheres. Now there was no way to know who he was targeting; he was finding himself getting almost – fatal wounds from the cumulative test score students. More and more of his men were falling as their HPs drastically decreased with a single swipe from the enemies.

"Thank you so much, Captain Obvious," Minami snapped. She too was tiring easily, and though her HP was still in the green, she knew it would run out quickly. '_There had to be a way to turn the tide,'_ she thought desperately.

"I'm running out of HP," Hideyoshi grumbled. "This school should've devised some battle items, like potions, like in real MMOs."

"That's it," Minami cried ecstatically. "You are a genius!"

"What? What did I say?" Hideyoshi asked as he was forced to dodge an incoming bullet. It grazed his side, costing him 45 HP. His HP bar blinked an angry red.

Minami did not bother replying. Her eyes roamed the crowded corridor, calculating distances and risks, looking for possible routes. The battle had now advanced to F Wing. They were halfway through the long corridor, about two hundred meters from the classroom. But before they reached the classroom—

"Everyone," Minami shouted, her voice a loud herald, "fall back! Fall back!"

"Are you crazy?" One student asked. "If these bastards reach the classroom, we're all dead meat!"

Minami's mouth tightened. "We'll get reinforcements from the third group stationed outside the classrooms!" Discreetly, she composed a group message. _Ppl wit red HP, take supplmntal xam! _

And with that, she turned on her heel and ran for her life.

* * *

The classroom was dead quiet. And boring, Naruto decided for the umpteenth time. He had just taken a peek at his classmates standing guard outside, and they were all standing tense and constipated – like, in his opinion. Looking at them hurt his eyes, and so he resigned himself to enduring Shikamaru's boring company. Who knew these wars took this long? The last war he had witnessed, he had been an unknowing participant, and that was like, two minutes at most. He had been an innocent passer-by, wondering (quite stupidly, he had to admit to himself), why there was such a ruckus in the hallway, when he caught sight of an avatar flying straight to his own. The next second, he felt the pack of a solid punch. Of course he had to retaliate, his avatar punching the perpetuator straight in the face. The poor fellow was out like a baby the next second.

And that was that. He didn't understand it himself, and he couldn't be bothered with Shikamaru's winded tactical explanations. All he gathered was that poor fellow was named Hyuuga Neji, and he had been the Prince of Konoha Academy before he got the daylight knocked out of him. That part when Shikamaru spouted something about punishments and inspectors, he tuned out. Who the hell cared about punishments, anyway? So long as it wasn't with Morino Ibiki and his scarred, ugly mug, Naruto didn't care.

Naruto watched as Shikamaru played another round of chess. That was another thing he did not understand. How could Shikamaru stomach all those pieces with different moves? And the most baffling of all, how could Shikamaru remember which moves which?

His musings were interrupted by a nervous classmate. "We've sighted Group A and B," he reported. "They're heading here fast."

Shikamaru did not even bother to look up from his game. "Brace yourself, Naruto," he said absently. He moved a black knight. He moved two white pieces as well, smiling predatorily as the lines of power on the board matched his strategy. "It's time for the next stage."

* * *

Shimada Minami sent a prayer of heartfelt gratitude to the gods of her ancestors as her feet touched F Wing's technical room. Like all the wings in the classroom, 2F had a technical room, which served as a supplemental examination room during any summons war. In battlespeak, it was like a sanctuary, a place where one may replenish health points. Supplemental tests were the potions Hideyoshi wished for. They meant a huge databank of test questions in every conceivable subject—one merely had to specify which subject to take, shade the proper circle in the answer sheet, feed the sheet into the scanner, and voila! Instant HP.

Quickly, Minami headed to an available seat and requested another supplemental test for Geometry. She was impatient to return to the field, and desperately hoped the third group could hold off the attack while she took her test. She had a score to settle with Nakabayashi Hiromi, she decided grimly as she glanced at the rows. Wasting no time, Minami grabbed and completed hers, only looking up when she felt her HP bar was sufficiently full.

At the moment, the technical room was filled with F students who had managed to escape the melee.

Her eyes widened when they landed on the third row. There sat Haruno Sakura, slowly and methodically working her way through piles of test papers. Beside her was a stack of filled answer sheets, waiting to be scanned. Her avatar flashed nearby, displaying her scores.

At that point, Minami could not decide whether the sharp pang of envy she felt was due to the avatar, or the way the scores climbed up. Compared to Haruno Sakura's, her own avatar, clad in a blue naval military uniform and holding a saber, looked shabby and tacky. And Minami while could only dream of an HP reaching four digits, the pink-haired princess' HP was already on 1245, and steadily increasing.

"What the hell is that," she murmured as the supervising faculty handed her the questionnaire and answer sheet.

"That," came the reply, "is Haruno Sakura taking all the past examinations. Now mind your own business."

"Oi."

No response.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

Poke.

"Oi, Shikamaru, don't you go ignorin' me!"

Silence.

Poke. Poke.

"Shi-ka-ma-ru!" he yelled vigorously poking the class president.

The lazy genius let out an irate sigh. "What now, Naruto?"

"It sounds as if they're all getting pulverized outside. Aren't ya worried?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I have you."

Naruto's ego inflated. "Well of course there's that. Ha! Those idiots have no chance against the great Naruto – sama! Believe it!"

Shikamaru snorted. "So says the Ultimate Idiot."

"Hey!"

"Relax, I meant it as a compliment, Naruto," Shikamaru chuckled.

"You did?"

"Well, in a way, yes." Shikamaru glanced cursorily at the closed doors. The sound of battle was intensifying; it was getting nearer and nearer the climax. "You see, you are very special, Naruto."

Blue eyes widened, sparkled with anticipation. "I am?"

"Of course you are. Even the deadlast deserves recognition, yes? But you won't comprehend how special you are even if I make you read the entire student manual." Shikamaru shook his head. "It's too troublesome anyway. So let's put it like this, Naruto. You are the Punishment Inspector."

"Where'd I hear that before, I wonder," Naruto said, his countenance contemplative.

"From me, you idiot," Shikamaru replied exasperatedly. "I told you about that when you asked how Uchiha Sasuke won that freshman summons war, remember?"

"Ah, I remember now! But I still don't understand anythin' ya said 'bout that."

"And that is why you're an idiot, Naruto."

"What's great about this inspector thingy, anyway?"

"Listen well, Naruto," Shikamaru tore his gaze away from the chessboard and regarded the blonde solemnly. "In this school, there are three students given special statuses. The first one is the Prince, whom you already know of."

Naruto's fists clenched tightly. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Yeah, well, basically, the Prince is determined not by succession, but by victory in war. Whoever defeats the current Prince earns the title, and automatically receives privileges, including becoming elected president of the Student Council—"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto interrupted, "I'm not interested in that teme. What about the inspector thingy?"

"The Punishment Inspector," Shikamaru explained, glaring at Naruto as he did, "is the title given to the idiot who has the worst grades among the students in any given level. As the Punishment Inspector, you have the ability to touch corporeal objects. Your HP, ATK and DEF are determined by your physical strength, and not by your scores. Of course you have the disadvantage of receiving feedback, so any damage taken by your avatar would be transmitted to you."

"I really don't get what you're saying," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "But does that mean I can win against that Uchiha teme?"

Shikamaru sighed. "If we play our cards right, yes, you just might. Anyway, the third—"

"That's all I need to hear." Naruto grinned ferally.

At that exact moment, the door opened, and in marched Nakabayashi Hiromi. She marched inside, flanked by roughed – up – but – still – tough lackeys. "Well, if it isn't the idiot class's president and the idiot of idiots."

* * *

**Naginata** – a variety of traditional Japanese sword shaped as a pole weapon. It is made up of a wooden shaft with a curved blade on the end, like a glaive. The blade, crafted in the same manner as a traditional Japanese sword, is usually 30 to 60 cm long, while the shaft ranges from 120 to 240 cm in length, and is oval – shaped.

_and all this i got from wikipedia. please review if you have the time. :)_


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